The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-07-20
SUPPLEMENT-.
The Press and Banner
Wednesday, July 20, 1887.
No Sects In Heaven.

Talking of sects till late one eve,
OF the various doctrines the sain1s 5 oene'e'
That night stood in troubled cream
By the side of darkly-fowing stream,
And ..cbnrchman" down to the river came
When I heard q strange voice call his name,
Good father, stop; when you cross Inns tlae
You must leave your robes on the other SIDE.
But the aged father did not mind.
And his long gown f1oated out behlna,
AS down the stream his way he took,
His frail hands clasping gilt-edged oooh.
I'm bound for heaven. and when I'm there,
shall want my "Book OF Common prayer,
And though put on starry crown,
should feel quite lost without my gown.
Then he fixed his eyes on the shining track,
Rnt his Gown was heavy and held him back
And the poor old father tried In vain
A single Step in the flood to gain.
saw him again on the other side,
Rut his silk gown 6oated on the tlde:
And no one asked in that blissful spot
If he belonged to "the Church" or not.
Then down to the river a Quaker strayed,
HIS dress of sober hue was made;
His coat and hat must be all OF gray
can not 60 any other way.
Then he buttoned his coat straight up to his
And staidly, solemnly waded in;
And his broad-brimmed hat he pulled down
tight ~
Over his forehead, so cold anu Whlte.
But strong wind carried away his hat;
A moment he silently sighed over that,
And then. as he gazed to the farther shore,
The coat slipped off and was seen no more.
AS he entered heaven his suit of gray
Was quietly sailing-away-away,
And none Of the angels questioned MIN
About the width Of his beavers orlm.
Next came DR.. Watts, with bundle of Psalms,
rTied njcp1y nm in his aged arms,
And hymns as many, very wise tmng,
That the people in heaven all round might
sing.
But thought that he heaved an anxious sigh
AS he saw that the river ran broad ana nlgh,
And looked rather surprised as one oy one
The Psalms and hymns in the waves went
down.
And after him, with his MSS,
Came Wesley, the pattern OF godlineSs;
But "dear me-" he cried, what snail dov
The water has soaked them through and
through"
And there on the river, far and wide.
Away they went down the swollen tide,
And the saint astonished, passed through
alone,
Without his manuscripts. up to the throne.
Then gravely walking, two saints by name,
Down TO the stream together came:
But as they stopped at the river brink
] saw one saint from the other shrink.
"Sprinkled or plunged, may ask you, friend.
How you attained to this great end?',
''Thus, with a few drops on my brow.
"But have been dipped, as you'll see me
now."
"And really I think it will hardly do,,
AS I'm close communion TO cross with you;
You're bound, / know, to the realms OF oiiss,
But you must 60 that way. and I'll go this.
And straightway plunging with all his might.
Away to the left-his friend at the right,
Apart they went from this world Of sin,
But at last together they entered in.
And now when the river was rolling on,
A Presbyterian church went down.;
or whom they seem'd wond rouS tnIonS,
But the men could see as they passed along.
And concerning the road they could not agree
The old or the new way, which 1t should be,
Nor ever q moment paused to think
That both would lead to the rivers brink.
And sound of murmuring, long and loud
Came ever up from the moving crowd,
"You're in the old way, and I'm in the new
That's the false, and this Is the true,'
Or I'm in the old way, and you're in the new,
That is the false, and this Is the true"
But the brethren only seemed to speak;
Modest the sisters walked, and meek,
And if ever one of them CHANGED to say
What trouble she met with on the way,
How she long'd to pass TO the other SIDE,
Nor feared to cross DER the swelling tide,
a voice arose from the brethren then,
LET no one speak but the holy men,
For have we not heard the words of Paul.
"Oh, let the women keep silence all!'
I watch'd them long in my curious dream,
Till they stood by the borders Of the stream,
Then, Just as thought the two ways met,
But all the brethren were talking yet.
And would talk on till the heavenly tlde
Carried them over, side by side:
Side by side, for the way was one,
The toilsome journey Of lie was done.
And priest and Quaker, and all who died,
Came out alike on the other side
No forms, or crosses, or books had they,
No gowns of silk, or suits Of gray,
No crcedS to guide them nr Mass,
For all had put on Christs Righteousness.